A pretty bold new step in RGG Studios' direction. I played in JP as per usual with their titles but the dub I'd still say is worth playing through anyway.

To get the negatives out of the way first, the tailing missions suuuuuck. I felt there were too many of them and they take forever. Combat I also think needed some more fine tuning. I think the Crane style is useless if there isn't a big crowd to use it on; it also doesn't get ANY upgrades at all. Tiger Style on the other hand breaks blocking and gets upgrades that make it better. I also think the mortal wound system was a waste of time and made more things stressful than they did. Also not big on making sub cases filler before continuing the story.

With all that said, man this story was something else. The mystery behind who was committing the murders and how it all runs deep within Japanese law enforcement was captivating. Yagami had a great introduction and goes through an incredible arc throughout the narrative. Kaito is also a great supporting man who, despite being more brawn than brain, is still a good detective when the chips are down. There's also so many lovable side characters that I could be here all day.

The music starting to lean more into some EDM influence which was expanded in LaD7 creates some incredible bangers along with the sick guitar riffs you'd expect from these titles.

I complained about combat before but I do think it was a step in the right direction after 6/K2. Combat already being formatted like the old games was already a good step but having them be more grounded instead of the physics in the Dragon Engine doing all the work is much appreciated. Yagami also gets a lot of movement options like his parkour which can help negate a boss' strong attack. Also small thing but I'm glad thekr heat (or I guess in this case EX) auras are different colors instead of 6 and K2 having the same red aura each time.

Also side cases are good. Not much to add there besides the ones involving tailing.

Overall while there are flaws, I'd still say 80% of the package is still damn good and you don't even need to play any previous Yakuza/Like a Dragon title to enjoy it.

While Sony may have issues with their first patty titles blending in from time to time, I think Ghost of Tsushima does a good job in trying to stand out. It really is no different from say an Assassin's Creed title but it doesn't feel as bloated. I really enjoyed the stealth of this game; you really are more of a ninja than a samurai in this title. A lot of people complain about the lack of lock-on during combat but I don't think it's that big a deal. It can be overwhelming though. You do get a lot of tools to use during combat and stealth and you definitely should take advantage of it when you can as it can turn the tides. Big fan of the hallucination darts.

The presentation of this game is nearly unparalleled. Probably the most beautiful game I ever played especially at 4K. I spent a lot of time just taking screenshots. I did get bored doing that after a while though and the final region of the island is probably my least favorite visually, but I think the art style carries the game enough to not be a big deal. I need to save these captures.

The story is a pretty straightforward "Old Way vs. New Way" story. It gets the job done and I did end up loving Jin's journey and the characters you meet throughout as their personal quests were engaging in their own right. The Khan isn't seen much but still manages to be an effective villain you want to slice through.

Overall this is definitely a blockbuster Sony title I recommend.